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Archive photo · 1 March 2014Channel 4 Cancels Married At First Sight UK After BBC Panorama Rape Allegations
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Channel 4 cancels Married at First Sight UK following Panorama rape allegations BBC Panorama report alleged rape and misconduct by husbands, triggering an external welfare review
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MAFS UK axed
Channel 4 cancelled Married at First Sight UK after a BBC Panorama investigation into allegations made by three women about the show, and the broadcaster said the series will not return. Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra said the show’s budget would be reinvested in "distinctive new programming" and she repeated her apology to the women involved for the "distress they have clearly felt". The BBC said Panorama revealed rape allegations from two female cast members and a third woman alleged a non-consensual sex act, while the men involved denied all the allegations against them.
Channel 4 commissioned an external review after the BBC first contacted the broadcaster, and the review was split into one part led by a legal firm and a second part led by former BBC One Controller Lorraine Heggessey. Channel 4 also said season six, which was filmed earlier this year, will not be broadcast, and it cancelled the spin-off Second Married at First Sight.
Review and denials
Clyde & Co found that Channel 4 and CPL's welfare protocols were compliant with Ofcom's broadcasting code, but it noted there were times when the welfare framework was not "fully implemented". Lorraine Heggessey concluded that the welfare protocols were "extremely thorough and of a high standard" and that, with enhancements and adjustments to the format, it would be reasonable to continue producing future series. Priya Dogra said the review "did not have the authority to adjudicate on the very serious allegations made by three women in the Panorama programme" while Channel 4 stressed that neither review sought to determine the truth of the allegations.
Dogra said implementing the recommendations would "fundamentally alter the show's nature" and she tied the decision to the programme having "run its course over 10 years". The BBC reported that one woman said her onscreen husband raped her and threatened her with an acid attack, while the men involved denied the allegations.
What happens next
Channel 4 took swift steps after the Panorama broadcast, and it launched its external review, removed all the episodes from its streaming service, and saw a major sponsor pull out. Ofcom launched an investigation into the show, and the BBC said that in June a male cast member was arrested on suspicion of rape. The BBC said the alleged victim was not being named, and it added that anyone who makes an allegation of rape is entitled to anonymity by law.
Variety said previous seasons of the show were removed from Channel 4’s streaming platforms while international versions remained available, and it said the spin-off Second Married at First Sight was cancelled. Channel 4 said the budget previously allocated to Married at First Sight UK would be reinvested in new programming, and Dogra said the broadcaster was using the money to "kickstart a new era of creative renewal".
